Clothes drying rack



Sept. 6, 1960 J. P. LA FURGE 2,951,591

CLOTHES DRYING RACK Filed Dec. 13, 1956 INVENTOR JAMES PHILIP LA FURGE Ute a e aren't 9 "7 cc 2,951,591 CLOTHES DRYING RACK James Philip LaFurge, 21' Grigg St., Greenwich, Conn.

Filed Dec. 13, 1956, Ser. No. 628,125

3 Claims. (Cl. 2115.3)

This invention relates to a clothes drying rack and more particularly toa rack or hanger for suspending and drying articles of clothing indoors.The present device is especially suitable for use over bath tubs with orwithout showers, andin stall showers.

, Because many hotel and apartment dwellers have no facilities forindoor drying of washed garments the present device was designed topermit a great number of garments, such as hosiery and lingerie, to besuspended therefrom over a bath tub or shower. Thus, the water drippingfrom the clothing will not accumulate on the floor but will be conducteddown the bath tub or shower drain. In addition, if it becomes necessaryto shield the clothes from the view of guests, the shower curtains maybe drawn and closed. In this age of drip-dry clothes,

the use of the' present drying rack is of utmost importance.

An object of the present invention is to provide a collapsible andextensible clothes drying rack which is supported firmly from theopposite walls of a bathtub enclosure or a stall shower.

\ Another object of the present invention is to provide a constructionwhich enables the rack or hanger to be more firmly held against oppositewalls as the weight of the load on the rack increases. i

- A further object of the present invention is the provisiOnof aninexpensive, collapsible and portable clothes 1" drying rack which isreliably effective for the purposes intended and which folds into aneat, unobtrusive assembly for storage purposes.

The above and other features, objects and advantages of the presentinvention will be fully understood from the following descriptionconsidered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation view of a clothes drying rack embodying myinvention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of an alternative modification of my clothesdrying rack in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 4 is a partial perspective view of one end of the rack constructedin accordance with Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a partial elevation view of the rear of my clothes drying rackin the area of the hinge and constructed in accordance with Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5wherein is shown a garment drying rack embodying my present inventioncomprising a supporting frame referred to generally by the numeral 10and constituted of a suitable material such as plastic, wood or metal.Frame 10 is made up of a plurality of sections, for example thosebearing the reference numerals 12, 14 and 16. Sections 12 and 14 arehinged together at 17 by means of screws 11, whereas section 14 and 16are removably secured together by means of bolt 18 and wing nut 20. Bolt18 passes through aperlure 22 in section 14 and elongated cut-out 24 insection 16. Cut-out 24 has a series of upwardly extending lockinggrooves 26 in which bolt 18 may be selectively inserted. Thus, the totallength of the garment drying rack may be adjusted depending upon thedistance between the walls to be spanned. The aforesaid is accomplishedby merely loosening wing nut 20 and moving the bolt 18 to the properlocking groove 26 and thereafter tightening up on the ring nut 20. Itshould be noted that instead of bolt 18 and wing nut 20 a loose-fittingdoubleheaded rivet may be used effectively as a means for securingsections 14 and 16 together.

The free end of section 12 is bifurated forming legs 28 and 30. A pivotpin 32 is secured in both legs 28 and 30 and mounts an end part ofgripper plate 34 having a frictional surface 36 by passing through ahole 33 in the gripper plate 34. In the .top surface of gripper plate 34is an identation 37 into which is adapted to be inserted a projection 38which is preferably integral with leg 28. Similarly, the free end ofsection 16 is bifurcated forminglegs 40 and 42. A pivot pin 44 is fixedin both legs 40 and 42 and mounts an end part or gripper plate 46 havinga frictional surface 48. In the top surface of gripper plate 46 is anindentation 50 into which is adapted to be inserted a projection 52which is preferably integral with leg 40. Sections 12 and 14 areprovided with a multiplicity of notches 54 in which clothes hangers orgarments may be suspended. In Fig. 5 the rear elevation of the sectionin the area of hinge 17 is illustrated in which is shown a hook 56pivotally connected at 57 to section 12 and adapted to be secured to alarge-headed stud 58. This arrangement prevents collapse of theadjoining sections 12 and 14 after the rack is installed. In addition, aspring 60 is fixed, to section 14 and has a projection 62 extending in adirection substantially transverse to the plane of the main portion ofspring 60. Projection 62 prevents the collapse of the clothes dryingrack in the event the rack is given a blow in the upward directionpreviousto the application of weight to the clothes drying rack by thehanging of garments thereon.

-erably of aluminum tubing is utilized. Notches or grooves 66 are madein the support 64 for suspension of hangers, clothes or the likeconnected to each end of support are gripping tubes 63. Thisconstruction is particularly suitable for hotels and motels where alengthy, not easily concealed device will be less likely to bemisappropriated or stolen from the premises.

The installation of my device is as follows: the entire clothes dryingrack is for example supported by the opposite walls over a tub orshower. In this respect, the overall length of the rack is adjusteduntil it is slightly larger than the distance between the walls.Thereafter, the rack is tilted at a slight angle in order to place thegripper plates 34 and 46 in frictional engagement with the walls. Spring60 prevents premature collapse of the rack. As weight is applied to therack in the form of wet garments hung thereon the gripper plates 34 and46 hold the rack in even firmer engagement with the walls so there is nochance for the rack to slip or fall from its initial position. Inaddition, the shower curtain may be drawn to obscure the sight of dryingclothes from guests using the bathroom. The clothes drying rackillustrated in Fig. 1 may be folded and telescoped to form a compactunit that may be easily stored, or carried in a suitcase when traveling.To achieve this result, sections 12 and 14 are hinged and section 16 isslidable. Moreover, gripper plates 34 and 46 are pivotable into aposition substantially parallel to the sections 12, 14 and 16.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it will be understood that the latter may be embodiedotherwise than as herein specifically illustrated or described and thatin the illustrated embodiment certain aha-a es in the details ofconstruction and in the airahgeihnt of parts may be made Wfthdl'l'fdeparting from the underlying idea "of principle 'of the ill- Ventionwithin the scope "or the appended claims.

I claim: I p p 1. A clothes rack of the class described comprising atleast three sections including a first section having a first partsecured to the free end of said first section and positionedsubstantially transverse thereto, an intermediate section, hinge means'con'nee'tin'g said first section with said intermediate sec'ti'onwhereby said first section is adapted to fold in side-by-siderelationship with said intermediate section, a third section having aslot therein with a plurality of upwardly extending locking grooves,means 'slidable in said slot and positioned in one of said lockinggrooves and pivotally connecting said intermediate section at apreselected position to said third section, said third section beingfolded in side-'by-side relationship with said intermediate section onthe side opposite to the side adjacent to which said first section isfolded, and a second part secured to the free end of the third sectionand substantially transverse thereto, the total length of said clothesrack when extended to operating position being slightly in excess of thedistance between the'two opposite walls that are to be spanned by saidclothes rack and engaged by said first and second parts respectively.

2. A clothes rack of the class described comprising at least threesections including a first section having a part pivotally secured tothe free end of said first section and positioned substantiallytransverse thereto, an intermediate seet'ion eonnected to said firstsection whereby said first sectien is adapted to fold in side-by-siderelationship with said intermediate member, a third section, said thirdsection being provided with a plurality of apertures there- 'in, meanspivotally connecting said intermediate section to said third section ata preselected aperture therein, said third section being foldable inside-by-side relationship with said intermediate section on the sideopposite to the side adjacent to which said first section is folded, asecond part pivotally secured to the free end of the third section andsubstantially transverse thereto, the total length of said clothes rackwhen extended to operating position being slightly in excess of thedistance between the two opposite walls that are to be spanned by saidclothes rack and engaged by said first and second parts respectively,and a spring member secured to said intermediate section and engaging atop surface of said intermediate section and third section wherebypremature collapse of the extended clothes rack before articles are hungthereon is prevented.

3. A clothes rack of the class described comprising at least threesections, a first section having a bifurcated free end and a first partpivotally secured between the legs of said free end of said firstsection and positioned substantially transverse thereto and rotatable ina horizontal plane substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis ofsaid first section, an intermediate section hinged to said firstsection, a third section, said third section being provided with apluralityof aperturestherein and having -a bifurcated free end,*meanspivotally'connecting said intermediate 'section to said third section ata preselected aperture therein, and a second part pivotally securedbetween the legs of said free end of the third section and substantiallytransverse thereto and rotatable in a horizontal plane substantiallyparallel to the longitudinal axis of 'sa-id first section, the totallength "of said clothes rack when extended to operating position beingslightly in excess of the distance between the two opposite walls thatare to be spanned by said clothes rack and engaged by said first andsecondparts respectively,

all of said sectionshaving a plurality of grooves "on the a top surfacethereof for the sup ort o fgarrnen't's suspended from said clothes rack.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS527,273 Fowler et a1. c. Oct. 9, 1894 1,756,716 Whitney Apr. '29, 19301,793,036 Whitney Feb. 17, 1931 2,066,623 Hatch Jan. 5, 1937 2,438,886Belmont Apr. 6, 1948 2,500,423 Martin Mar. 14, 1950 2,522,174 HermsmeyerSept. 12, 19-50 2,616,569 Akers a Nov. "4, 1952 2,623,435

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